[Matt Oz]

TJR - Sounds like your more in the club than I am.


On the main topic, I would actually go more for: When can you call yourself a ceramic artist.
I only took a few semesters of wheel throwing, my interests lie elsewhere. Ceramics is not my main source of income (even though I keep telling everyone that's my plan), I still consider myself an accomplished ceramic artist. As far as the layman is concerned though, I'm a potter, it's just easier that way. I think when they see someone that makes objects out of clay that is reasonably skilled at it, they consider that person a potter.

[TJR]

trina, on 11 February 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

TJR, on 10 February 2012 - 05:11 PM, said:

I was reading this topic on a Friday after the students have all gone home. There are the flip answers-cracked fingers, no finger prints etc. There are the hierachical answers-I was at the Bray, I went to this grad school etc. I scrolled down reading peoples' answers, and was surprised that I had already commented.My wife was asked; "What's it like living with an artist?"
She replied- "Well, you never get to pick paint colours, You never get to pick furniture,or garden plants or.. on and on.
I didn't realize that it was do hard for her. I am pretty particular about what I surround myself with. I do call myself an artist, and I do make functional pottery. My back also hurts from sitting at my wheel. Can I be in the club?
TJR.

OK but don't say you haven't been warned eh? Trina

Made me laugh! You know I am from Canada,eh? Most of us don't say "eh" all the time. We do say "oot and aboot." Can't help it. It's our dipthong talking, eh?
TJR

[trina]

TJR, on 12 February 2012 - 11:24 AM, said:

trina, on 11 February 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

TJR, on 10 February 2012 - 05:11 PM, said:

I was reading this topic on a Friday after the students have all gone home. There are the flip answers-cracked fingers, no finger prints etc. There are the hierachical answers-I was at the Bray, I went to this grad school etc. I scrolled down reading peoples' answers, and was surprised that I had already commented.My wife was asked; "What's it like living with an artist?"
She replied- "Well, you never get to pick paint colours, You never get to pick furniture,or garden plants or.. on and on.
I didn't realize that it was do hard for her. I am pretty particular about what I surround myself with. I do call myself an artist, and I do make functional pottery. My back also hurts from sitting at my wheel. Can I be in the club?
TJR.

OK but don't say you haven't been warned eh? Trina

Made me laugh! You know I am from Canada,eh? Most of us don't say "eh" all the time. We do say "oot and aboot." Can't help it. It's our dipthong talking, eh?
TJR

I am a great white norther myself, hense the salt and pepper shakers in my profile picture. Trina

[Benhim]

It takes about 10,000 hours to master anything. Once one spends this amount of time doing something they should be able to press the outer limits of the field. However I believe that you can call yourself a potter if you are currently practicing pottery, whether you are a master or a novice. When you make your first real investment in the tools and materials to make pots and then use those tools to turn the materials into pottery, you're a potter.

[laurelneth]

Lucille Oka, on 26 December 2011 - 11:27 PM, said:

You have learned to center clay on the potter's wheel and have thrown over 1,000+ pots, and you know how to wedge clay. You fire pots in your much beloved kiln, you decorate pots, load them in the kiln again. After that firing you put them on a shelf, and have to figure out a way to clear the shelves and decide to sell the pots and you buy more shelves for more pots. You are buying more clay and plaster for making molds and lumber for cottle boxes. You buy more wood modeling tools because you can never have enough of those. You think silk sponges are beautiful. You have recently purchased supplies for more clay work instead of some much needed personal items. You see regular household purchases in terms of how much clay you can get instead. You are fascinated by Home Depot, Lowes and hardware stores. You are obsessed with brushes and will spend $50.36 for one camel hair mop for applying glaze (which is very beautiful by the way) but complain about the price of bread.
You are called a potter.

I haven't been potting all that long, but by your definition, I'm a potter and that is how I discribe myself to others. ~Laurel~